Taking Action
by Jee Willikers
Summary: I had told Katara I wouldn’t go...that the idea had been a whim and nothing else. But I hadn’t promised.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:** I'm a fanfiction writing virgin, so please be gentle.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own _anything_, including Avatar.

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Aang had improved since we fled Ba Sing Se.

He'd 'improved'...considering he died two days ago.

Aang died, but because of some miracle-water, he was now able to draw agonizingly slow, painful breaths. It's a bittersweet improvement to say the least.

The guru, strangely enough, had anticipated our arrival. He'd muttered something about 'sensing the avatar's distress' or whatnot, when Appa first touched down at the Eastern Air Temple. He and Katara had quickly ushered Aang inside to be mended.

I knew the old, emaciated-looking Guru was probably out of his mind just by looking at him. Instinct's, ya know? The whole 'sensing' talk had just cemented the fact. Katara seemed to trust him immediately however, and when I'd followed the three into the hallowed temple, I found them deeply involved in healing my friend.

I peer in on the group from an archaic archway. The room before me is quite bizarre...I always thought the point of building a shelter was to provide _protection_ from the elements.

This place seems to attract them.

The three walls across from the archway offer expansive views of the mountain terrain surrounding the temple: with the two pillared verandas I'm sure this was intentional, but a nagging feeling tells me the gaping hole on the third wall should be attributed to Nature and Time. Flowers and vines grow through the cracks in the stones, somehow finding a way to bend around the crushing weight of earth. Rarer species find homes in pots. Tiny trails of water still flow through an ancient fountain in the corner.

In the center of it all Aang lays on his stomach. Actually, Guru Patik supports his chest: neither he nor Katara want Aang to put weight on his already weak lungs. Katara leans over Aang's other side, her healing hand hovering over the hideous scar on his back.

The scar is certainly the most horrific injury, but I've learned that far worse injuries are almost never seen...just like with Jet.

And Katara hadn't known how to fix him.

She's been trying to heal Aang ever since we fled Ba Sing Se, barely resting. Even now, after two days of travel, she tiredly sways over her patient. I feel a small pang of pride. In my memory I see a little girl that grew frustrated and angry when she didn't get a bite in the first five minutes of ice fishing...or who fidgeted uncontrollably through her lessons, wishing only to play in the snow...

That little girl grew up. The patience and diligence she demonstrates now is proof of that.

My eyes move to the starburst-like scar in the middle of Aang's spine. As much as Katara tried, the scar didn't seem to fade. She stopped wasting her time a day ago; instead focusing on the injuries we couldn't see.

Though a selfish part of me wishes she'd just keep trying. That scar simply unnerves me.

Footsteps. I glance over my shoulder.

"Hey."

Toph wanders in next to me, Momo perched on shoulder.

I force a small smile, "Where's the Kingster?"

Toph snorts, "Singing a lullaby to his bear in the stable, where else?"

The Earth King and that bear have an unhealthy relationship, of that I'm sure.

"Appa's in the stable, too."

I turn grateful eyes to her, "Thanks, Toph."

I hadn't wanted to do the chore...instead opting to be close to Katara...Really, how sad is it to have a younger sister as a security blanket? So very unwarrior-like.

Katara turns, apparently just noticing our presence, "His breathing is improving."

She sounds hopeful and somehow it makes me feel even more pathetic. Her hope has always been so comforting. I'm the protector and yet I need her comfort. Our roles should be reversed. I slowly move into the room. Toph follows close behind, more tentatively than I'd have ever thought her possible.

I guess I'm tentative too: for the life of me I can't seem to keep my eyes from fixating on that scar. It shines a bright crimson on my friend's otherwise smooth back...

My little brother's back.

Yes...little brother. It's cliché, I know. Go barf if you feel like it...but cheerful, fun-loving Aang somehow wormed his way into our little family some time ago, even if my own macho-ness won't allow me to admit as much in public.

The scar seems to sneer at me. As I stare at it, I swear it screeches and laughs like a hysterical Fire Nation princess. I wasn't there when it happened, of course, but staring at that scar I can see lightning explode into the boy's chest, his blood splattering grotesquely...even though I know the blood would have cauterized instantly...I still _see_ it.

My stomach churns, but I'm not hungry. I barely manage a whisper to my sister, "That means he'll be okay, right?"

Behind me, the ever-steady Toph shudders. Spotting Aang, Momo chirps and acrobatically flips to his side. The tiny creature sniffs his limp hand, no doubt confused why his favorite person stopped giving him treats.

Katara's eyes follow the lemur to the ground...and don't come back up. Yoga-master answers in her place, his unfamiliar accent breaking the silence.

"Your friend here is quite strong. He nearly mastered in days what took me a lifetime to perfect. In time, he will recover."

The guru's words spoke of confidence. Of _'knowing'_. Despite Aang's heavily beaded brow, and horrible wheezing, this senile fool appears to have no doubts. Despite the fact that Aang's heart stopped working...

"You all doubt your friend."

Silence. Suddenly, the room feels cooler. I can't begin to imagine how the old man feels, being all skin and bones. You'd think he'd do something about that...clothes, for instance.

The guru repeats his question, "Well you do, don't you? Your faces predict a grim outcome. You doubt him."

Who did this guy think he was...reading my mind like that.

His words don't sit well with Toph though. She storms forward, her tentative step somehow vanquished.

"Like **hell**!" she spits, "Twinkletoes here is a lot tougher than he looks, he's stood up against me, after all."

Makes him a hell of a lot braver than me.

The guru laughs lightly at the small girl's words. "Very courageous indeed!"

It takes a moment, but Katara also perks up.

"And he's never given up...especially not on us," She smiles at him fondly.

Guru Patik catches the tender look, "He has much heart...much love. It ties him to this world."

For some reason beyond me, three pairs of eyes then look in my direction...

And Toph wonders why I forget she's blind...

"What?"

Guru Patik looks exasperated, "If Aang is to recover, you must relinquish your doubts. You must trust in him."

I ponder his words. How can my trust...my intangible, _definately-not-medicine_ nor _water-healing-magic_, **TRUST**...help Aang recover from a lightning bolt to the heart? Such horrible logic. And yet, looking at the man's withered face, I can tell he's sincere...

But sincerity didn't matter much if he was insane, did it?

I can trust. I just need to have a reason. Point in fact...I trust that the world is round, because I've traveled most of it and know it to be true.

You might ask, but what about people, Sokka? Do you trust people? This _is_ a little more difficult, but with time I can usually find a reason to trust someone if they deserve it. Ya see, I trust Toph because she's never lied to me, and I trust Katara because she's never hurt me...too badly, at least. And even though Aang commands a magic I don't fully comprehend, I trust him.

I trust Aang because Aang trusted me, without question, even before he really knew me. Such blind, unconditional, pure trust, simply demands trust in return...

I'm a man of action. It isn't enough for me to say I trust my friend. I have to show it. But how? I ponder this question for what seems like minutes, my mind working faster than a grey cheetah-hound and...wait...that's it...

It was the first thought that stuck me.

"I have an idea."

Katara looks confused. She'd been expecting me to say something more along the lines of her and Toph's statements.

"Huh?" Her eloquent reply. Poor girl's tired...

Awesome, I've got an advantage.

"Aang will get better. I trus-..._know_ he will. But like crazy guy over there said –_no offense_-," I nod at Guru Patik, who grins, amused, "It's going to take time."

Katara feels the shoulder underneath her hand tense, as if electrified. If I strain I can hear the hitch in Aang's breathing. She massages the muscle to ease his discomfort while she listens on. Good girl...

I continue, "We only have two months. Even though Aang's hurt and can't travel, the clock's still ticking people. He has to learn firebending."

Katara's rolling her eyes. We've all heard this spiel a million times before and she's in no mood to hear it again, being so fatigued. Her eyes are drooping and her shoulders are drooping and she's basically just...drooping. If I don't hurry up she's going to tell me to get to the...

"We know all this...get to the point, Sokka."

Predictable.

"Heh...right. Anyway, Zuko's uncle...A-Iroh, was it?...He's a firebending master and a traitor to the Fire Nation. He has every reason to want to help Aang..."

Katara eyes me like I'm a dimwit through her drooped eyelids, "Well, yeah...but he was taken in Ba Sing Se."

"He doesn't have to stay that way."

I hold my breath.

Toph understands my meaning right away. The way she's fidgeting gives her away.

As I watch, I see Katara's eyes light up...she's putting two and two together.

"Please...**_Please_** tell me you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting..." It was said with such weariness.

So very anti-climatic of her.

"Oh c'mon...I thought the old guy was pleasant enough. Or would you prefer I bring back Scar –

"Quit it, Sokka! This isn't a joke."

That's much more like it.

I scratch the back of my neck, "You're right. I'm sorry."

She isn't appeased by my apology.

"You want to go back to Ba Sing Se."

The statement sounds like an accusation.

"Katara, I know it sounds crazy, but we can't afford to be shortsighted."

Yeah, it was a jab in her direction. She's so concerned about Aang that she isn't thinking in the long-term...ugh...that sounded so cold. I didn't mean to insinuate that my sister was selfish; I mean she gives all of herself in everything she does. She cares for him...I guess I'd be the same way if it had been her...

"Guru what's-his-face is right. We have to trust Aang will be okay..." I avoid looking at the scar, lest it cause my confident tone to waver.

"...but if he doesn't learn firebending by the time Sozen's Comet arrives, he won't be okay in two months, and neither will you or anyone else."

Katara deflates a bit. She doesn't want to acknowledge the logic in my words.

"Jeong-Jeong...what about him?"

I'd considered that briefly myself...at least now I know she's on the same page.

"I thought about that too. But we have no idea where he went after he escaped Zhao. We may not find him in time."

"We have two months!"

"It's a HUGE world Katara! We found Jeong by chance last time...he could be anywhere now!"

Katara frowns, "We can all go then...once Aang's on his feet again."

"How long will that take?...Besides...he's too important. If he runs into Azula again before he learns firebending..."

She throws her hands up in frustration, "It doesn't matter what I say...you'll just make an excuse!"

Hey now...That was offensive. I wouldn't have volunteered to do actual _work_ if I hadn't thought about it from a logical standpoint. My eyes narrow.

"I'd rather be spouting hot air than be full of—"

"**Quiet!**" The earth rumbles slightly.

The tremble causes both Katara and I to break our mutual stare-downs.

"...He has a point Katara."

My sister sputters, and I throw her a smug smile.

"What?!...both of you are_ insane_!"

"No..._he_ is." Toph points toward the guru.

"Ah haa!" An accented chuckle.

At least I wasn't alone in that particular speculation.

I soften my tone, "I know you think it's dangerous.."

"It's **reckless**, that's what it is! The Dai Li are practically ghosts, they see everything...not to mention Zuko and Azula...she bends _lightning_, Sokka! Big, scary, crackling** lightning**!"

She's still shaken. The haunted look in her eyes makes me wonder if she still sees Aang being struck over and over in her mind: his mouth agape, his eyes wide, as if merely surprised and not dying at that very moment. His eyes rolling into the back of his head as his Avatar state leaves him, and then he's falling. A speck. A meager speck falling listlessly. They'd all been lucky Katara had gotten there in time. Our mother's death taught us that Fate wasn't always so merciful.

I recognize her distress and quickly pull her into a hug. I feel a lot more useful when I get to be the comforter...

"I just don't want anyone else to..."

She breaks off and instead rests her head on my shoulder. I feel moisture dampening my shirt. It tears at my heart to know I'm causing her more pain.

Slowly, another pair of arms encircles us both from the side. I smile weakly at Toph.

"Don't get used to it."

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I had told Katara I wouldn't go...that the idea had been a whim and nothing else.

But I hadn't _promised._ It would have been too hard to break one with her. Actually, I pride myself in being pretty honest. I'd say I keep about eighty percent of my promises...

Which gives me a C average. Not bad. Though I've always done better with my scholarly interests than my virtues.

Of course, I had _intended_ to stay. Seriously. The look on my sister's face had been so sad and tired. I didn't feel right leaving her like that.

She'd feel much better about it in the morning, after a good night's sleep.

It's Toph's fault anyway. She's very persuasive when she wants to be, ya know?

After my sister broke down (and I'm not saying she didn't deserve a little emotional release), I helped her set up her bedroll next to Aang's so she could get some rest. Her breathing evened out in minutes.

That's when Toph and I had a little chat. Seemed the earthbender had liked my idea to return to the Earth Kingdom capital...

"Toph, stop right there. I already promised Katara I'd stay put."

"Wow...you're friggin' _pussy-whipped_, you know that?"

"_What?"_

What the hell was she talking about?

Toph's face reddened, "I don't know...I heard one of my opponents say it once."

"Strange."

"Forget it! Just hear me out, knuckle head!"

At that, I turned my eyes so they looked into her own, even though I knew she couldn't see it. When Toph gives orders like that, most everyone tends to listen.

"You and I are going to take Appa. We're going to travel back to Ba Sing Se, and we're going to bring Aang back a firebending sifu! We're going to do this because we're **strong** enough..."

She points to herself.

"...**smart** enough..." She points in my direction.

"And friggin' **PISSED** enough to pull it off!" She stomps into the ground to emphasize her fury.

"...And Katara may not like it now, but her brain's all mushed cuz of Twinkle toes --_and maybe mine is too_-- but she'll thank us later!"

And that's when Guru Patik came out from behind the figural sculpture of a woman airbender.

"You'll need some supplies for your quest..."

I wonder...If the guru endorses my idea...

Crap. It really _must_ be crazy.


	2. Chapter 2

It made sense that Katara and Guru Patik stay behind...in my mind at least. They're the most qualified healers and would best aid Aang during his recovery. While Katara slept, the guru coached us about how we should go about reentering the city.

"_The element of surprise will be essential."_

Duh. As if I didn't know that. The old man emphasized the point though, rambling on and on that to be truly invisible we must enter as ghosts: unseen, unheard, and untouched.

Being a smartass, I asked about untasted...and then grimaced at the implications.

He seemed confident about our chance of success. After such a horrible and heart wrenching defeat, our adversaries wouldn't expect our immediate return. Azula's pride would blind her to that possibility. Still if anything..._anything_...felt wrong, he advised us to trust our instincts and get out of there.

Toph assured him she'd get me out if anything happened.

I faked a laugh before readying Appa's saddle.

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"So what's the plan?"

It's only been a day and she's already rubbing me the wrong way.

I muster up what I hope is an agitated enough glare. Extended travel by bison...hours upon hours limited to the same ten square feet. And heaven forbid a caustic personality like Toph accompanies you...Just how the hell did the air nomads do it?

An irritated sigh. The same voice, "A-h-h-hem..."

"It's formulating."

"It's been _formulating_ for a day now, Snoozles. Just what do you have going on in that small busted brain of yours?"

I wish she'd just leave me to my thoughts: there's enough on my plate as it is. Granted, I kinda sorta brought it on myself, but figuring out a way to reenter Ba Sing Se is mind-numbing enough without her picking a fight every few minutes.

Don't get me wrong. I love a good 'ol war of words...unless its in haiku form. _Damn syllables._ Toph's especially fun to banter with...ask her to play a game of 'I Spy' and enjoy the explosions that ensue...

But I can't afford to be distracted right now. I'm the plan-guy, and as such, I have to come up with a plan...there are just so many distractions right now.

I must have dazed out because Toph's voice breaks in, gentler this time, "Look. I know it's hard."

She glances away, an odd behavior for a girl who can't see me anyway.

"It's hard not to think about what happened. But what you said to Katara was right. We can't afford to be shortsighted. I get this feeling that what we're doing is right."

Even if my sister was going to kill me, it was nice to know I had someone on my side.

"Thanks, Toph...Hey, does that mean I can count on your support when we get back?"

Her expression becomes incredulous. "**_Hell_** no...I'm not burying myself into the hole you dug."

"But _you're _the one who convinced me to go through with it!"

She smiles sweetly, "You see, there's this thing called free will..."

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"Aaaaaaagh!"

The water in the fountain explodes outward, showering the interior of the room.

The Earth King sticks his tongue out to catch one of the misty droplets, but his face screws up at the bitter, moldy taste.

"Ick."

As if he'd been expecting something better.

Guru Patik looks up from where he meditates to the now red-faced Katara.

"Why thank you, my dear. For an old man, it can be such a chore watering all of these plants."

Her fury focuses in, "Did **_you_** know they were going to leave?"

The guru considers the girl before him.

He was one hundred and fifty years old. He'd been advisor to a countless number of great benders. He'd spent a fifth of his life in meditation, gaining insight. He was very, _very_ wise.

He knew exactly how to answer. He offers a placating smile.

"_Nope_."

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"...Sokka?"

My eyes snap open. I've been steering Appa for fourteen hours...much too long when you consider I've been known to sleep just as long.

"H-huh?...I-I'm still formulating."

"_Riiight._..."

I rub my eyes.

"Let's land and rest a couple hours."

"I'm _fine_, Toph."

"Shut up, not everything's about you," Toph sighs, "I want to dig my feet in the Earth awhile."

Oh...good. As long as I'm not the weak one. I steer Appa toward the ground.

"I see a town ahead," I squint to see beyond the woods. "Maybe they'll give us something other than banana-onion juice."

Toph visibly brightens.

"**Land there!**"

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Aang's eyes move rapidly behind closed lids. Katara knows this because she can make out the dark pupils through the lids' thin, pink membranes. She's never seen her friend so pale.

But there have been victories. While she slept, the airbender's breathing had returned to a much more stable pattern.

Sleeping had done her good. She'd been invigorated when she woke up, happier...but that had changed quickly when she searched the temple for Toph and her brother.

She was going to kill them...especially her brother. That is, if you can _especially_ kill someone.

She'd find a way.

Ever since she'd been little she'd fought to be his equal. Little sisters, waterbending talents or not, seek approval from older brothers. That's just the way it is.

And for him to abandon her...to make her feel so useless...She wouldn't make it easy for him to win her trust back.

A little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she wasn't useless. Her purpose lay in front of her...

Aang. That's what she had to focus on now. She couldn't change the fact that half her group was in route to Ba Sing Se, but she _could_ help him.

She'd hoped that he would wake when his breathing returned to normal. But still his pupils dart about...dreaming.

The Earth King plops down beside her, legs crossed.

"He looks good."

"Yeah..." The confidence in her voice was wavering.

"Don't sound so glum!"

The Earth King surprises her with his cheerful voice. Too cheerful, in fact...Didn't he just lose his kingdom?

The king whispers to her gleefully, "Luck is on our side. Bosco performed a dance this morning! A great omen!"

In her mind, Katara questions for the hundredth time how this man became king...

Guru Patik appears in the doorway, "A _dance_ you say?"

Katara looks from king to guru, perplexed.

"This is wonderful news indeed!!"

As angry as she is at them, Katara prays her friends will hurry back soon.

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Rolls and cheese and cured chicken-pig taste tastes wonderful when you've been living off the guru's special 'recipe' for two days. Toph and I had debated the issue briefly while we traveled, and in the end we concluded that it wasn't worth living to one hundred and fifty, if we had to eat banana-onion juice every day. We'd rather just die.

The villagers who greeted us were quite hospitable. Food was freely given, and a wonderful old couple offered us a room. Toph, noting their humble home didn't have dirt floors, asked if she could sleep in the stable with Appa instead. She has a wonderful way of unintentionally insulting people.

Night soon fell. When we excused ourselves from our meal to feed and settle Appa, we found the normally mellow bison to be quite antsy. The animal's huge nose sniffed the air and his six legs paced just outside the old couple's door. At first, I'd feared the worst...had we been spotted landing by Fire Nation scouts? No one had mentioned anything about them being in the area...

"What's up with Fluffy?"

I raise my eyebrow a notch, "Do you have a nickname for everyone?"

"Awww _Snoozles_...don't get jealous. I thought long and hard about yours."

"Hn...cute."

"I know."

Appa nudges me from the side unexpectedly, almost toppling me over. Big guy apparently doesn't know his own strength.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Again, a deliberate, but softer, nudge.

I begin whining, "Quit it, _Appa_! I'm not rubbing your belly!"

The bison is now in full 'speak mode'. His grunts draw the attention of the old couple, who appear in the doorway, curious about the noise.

Toph picks up a pattern, "He wants to lead us somewhere."

"You think?" Another nudge and I give up struggling, allowing the bison to push me, "So much for a nap..."

Twenty minutes later and we're standing in front of a small home on the outskirts of town...actually, it's more like a shack, and it's in the woods...a good mile outside of town.

I eye the structure warily. A stray gust of wind causes its planked sides to creak and moan. Dead trees stretch thin fingers to scratch its crumbling, decrepit roof. It's obvious that the home was abandoned awhile ago, with vines slithering all over its exterior...all but the door.

The woods around me are suddenly darker than any moonless night I can ever remember...My mind wanders to the scary stories Dad used to entertain me and Katara with as children...Didn't one involve an abandoned ice shelter, haunted by the spirit of a vengeful old hag? That's right...She lured children in with the smell of blubber seal jerky and candies. She fed them until they were too plump to escape, and then stewed them for her own meal...

I sniff the air...Is that jerky I smell? And just what in the Four Nations led Appa here?!

In the back of my mind, I can hear Mom scolding Dad. "The children nearly wet themselves!" Dad only laughs heartily.

Appa sniffs the air once more before sitting contently. This must be his intended destination.

Toph notes my shifty eyes. "_Okaaaay._..."

"You knock, Toph."

"What?! Why me?"

"Well what do you want me to do? 'Hello sir, ma'am, would you like to barter for some Water Scout snacks? The Thin Minced Blubber Seal is delicious! Oh, and mind explaining why my flying bison led me here?'"

The wind howls again and I jump. My heart's racing.

Toph must feel it. She sighs, "You're such a pansy."

"_Sticks and stones_..."

She approaches the door and knocks three times. Its not long before light footsteps approach.

I hug Appa's front paw tightly, anticipating escape from the old hag.

Toph only smiles knowingly.

The door cracks open. One eye looms out. Toph waves.

I've already climbed half-way up Appa.

"**_Don't eat me!!_**"

A bedraggled Suki opens the door fully.

"You're the _strangest _boyfriend I've ever had, you know that?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's notes:** Thanks so much for reviewing ...I'm having some fun with this, though I'm afraid I've encountered a couple setbacks. A lot of the ideas I previously had for this story have already been explored by some talented writers (and faster typers)...and I'm kinda finicky about doing my own thing.

Remember that kid in kindergarten class that couldn't stand it when their drawing looked like everyone else's? That's me '

I know it's impossible to not cross ideas...but the original plot I had for this looks exactly like a story I just read. _Whoops_. Therefore I'm going to try to revamp some...which could take awhile.

Listen to me...trying to sound like I know what I'm doing. Blah.

Oh...and the geography of the show confuses me somewhat. The scale of the map on nick's website for instance...can Ba Sing Se really be that big?? If something about the geography seems off, I welcome your opinion. Maybe I can fix it...or maybe I can pull out my shiny artistic license.

**Disclaimer:** I own nada.

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I eye her state critically. First the greenish purple bruise painted over her left eye and temple, then the sling supporting her right arm, and finally her lack of breath as she rambles on and on about what happened. She explains how she found Appa and how, soon after, her group was ambushed by three Fire Nation girls.

She's somber now. It doesn't take a genius like me to know the fight hadn't gone well.

She explains that she woke up much later, after some brave locals fought the massive fire, fearing it would spread to their homes. That's when they'd been found. They'd been lucky to be seen in time; most of them were saved.

Most of them...

The Fire Nation group had left them unconscious, and her unclothed, assuming the fire was enough to take them in their weakened states. One of her close friends, overwhelmed by the thick, rancid smoke, had suffocated before help arrived...while Suki slept, unable to help.

I thank whatever Mighty power there is that it wasn't her.

The rest of the warriors were given sanctuary in a native's old home while they recovered.

I sit next to her then. She refuses to show her sorrow, instead staring angrily at the floor...at some unseen enemy. Her red eyes tell me she's done enough weeping. I think of my mother, of Yue; I can sympathize with that. Tears have never brought back anyone important to me either. A couple of her Kyoshi warriors, in considerably worse states than their leader, sit in the corner of the room, also frowning darkly.

Toph's the first to speak after Suki finishes, "We're glad you're still with us."

Toph knows better than to say 'I'm sorry' for something she has no power over. I appreciate that about her.

Suki shakes out of her trance at the young girl's words. Her eyes lighten slightly, "Me too."

Me three.

Amazingly, she's able to shake her dark thoughts...or at least push them aside, "Listen to me...I still haven't asked why _you_ travel through here, and without your other friends."

She's changing the subject. I want to tell her that I don't mind listening if she wants to talk, but I respect her space. Instead I briefly explain what's transpired over the last week. I don't go into much detail, as details still hurt too much to go into. I gently inform her that the Kyoshi's garments gained Azula access into the Impenetrable City.

She looks ashamed. _Stupid girl_...as if she had any control over what happened. I tell her as much. It's worth the punch I receive, if it distracts her from her unjustified feelings of guilt.

I told her about the ensuing battle, the fatal blow dealt to Aang, and the quick escape to the Eastern Air Temple. She gasps when she learns that Aang died, but breathes a sigh of relief when I tell her he's recovering.

Toph snorts at Suki's display of fear, "Have a _heart attack_, why dontchya? He's the Avatar...ya gotta trust him. That's what the guru guy told _us_ to do anyway... That's why we left."

I lean behind Suki and gesture wildly at Toph to shut up.

"I can't see that, you idiot."

Suki turns, and I feign an extravagant yawn, arms stretched and all. It doesn't take much acting...I'm really pooped.

"What are you _doing_?"

Crap. "Uhh...Nothing?"

"You don't want me to know where you're going. Why?"

Astute. The girls in the corner look up in curiosity. I search my brain for an excuse.

"On second thought, Serpent's Pass isn't that far from here...there's really only one place you would be going...Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

I blanch. And then my heart skips a beat. She's so cute.

"Uhhh..._no_?"

Toph snickers.

"Well, don't make it sound like a question!"

Oh...heh. I scratch the back of my neck.

She quickly collects herself, "Why go back? The two of you can't take that group on alone."

Toph's brows furrow. I'm sure her ego didn't take that last comment particularly well.

"Suki," I grapple with my words, "I don't want to get you involved."

"Way too late."

"_Suuuuuki.._.."

"None of that whining crap," She's suddenly standing in front of me, "You're obviously over that chauvinist mentality if you've let a twelve year old girl in on your plans..."

"_HEY!_ "

"...and those girls in Ba Sing Se owe Kyoshi Island a debt for its loss. I'm a capable warrior...I can help you!"

She's becoming agitated. I get the feeling she doesn't take orders that well. Maybe if I can just calm her down...

"Please Suki...you're _hurt_. This is very risky," I try to pull her down next to me but she refuses my touch.

She points at her sling, "This? It's only a sprain. Ya know, just like that muscle in your **head**!?"

I cross my eyes as her finger zooms in on my forehead, and then I'm trying to protect myself as she drives her point across with a series of rough jabs...point...ha, ha---

OUCH..._ouchouchouchouchouchouchouchouchouch_...!!!

She finally stops. I glower and rub my poked skin, while she wraps up her argument.

"And if you can function with such an _obvious_ burden. **So. Can. I** "

I glance at Toph, who sports a wide smile. This must be so entertaining from an outer perspective.

The earthbender breaks into the conversation, "We're going to free our friend Iroh, and convince him to teach Aang firebending."

"**Toph!**"

"_What?_...She's right Snoozles. You're being all stupid and overprotective," her face contorts, "It's nauseating."

"I'm going."

"Wha—**No!**"

"Sorry, but two against one says '**yes**'. Besides, you could use the extra set of eyes."

A groan.

Suki cringes, "Heheh, sorry Toph."

I sigh in defeat. Girls working as a team are simply too powerful for one guy. And with Katara undoubtedly furious about my leaving, and Toph's short temper, and Suki's ability to dissect everything I say...ugh...

I can only pray Aang's on his feet by the time we return.

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Suki told Toph and I to get some sleep while she packed a few essentials: she'd wake us in a couple hours. Funny, it'd felt as though my eyes had just closed and a second later I was being shaken awake. I've come to the conclusion that two hours is just a cruel way to trick a body into thinking it's rested.

A couple of Suki's friends have been glaring at me since I woke up. I guess I'd be wary too. Here I am, 'stumbling upon' Suki...yet again..._Coincidence?_

They think not.

I've essentially coerced their leader into deserting their safe _-albeit decaying-_ haven, so she can do my fighting for me in an exceptionally risky mission...in their eyes at least. I'd never coerce Suki into doing anything this dangerous...just like she'd never lie down and accept my sensible suggestion that she stay behind.

I hear them whispering again...so I throw one of 'em a wink.

Might as well enjoy myself if they're going to hate me anyway.

Their whispering stops abruptly. The taller of the two sends an obscene gesture in my direction...which I interpret to basically mean, _'Don't get cute with us.'_

Heh...okie dokie.

Suki walks into the main room, dressed in an outfit befitting a teenage earth kingdom boy: loose pants that fall to her knees and a simple sleeveless shirt, wrapped around and tied into her cloth belt. A sheath is strapped there, as well as her traditional fan.

Without thinking I comment, "I thought you're fan was taken."

Her eyes cast down briefly, "It was. I'm borrowing this one."

Borrowing?...

Realization hits me...Her friend...the one she lost. The two girls in the corner bow their heads in respect.

"I see...You'll do her honor then."

The corners of her lips lift slightly.

"Thank you."

A short time later we were ready to depart. Appa had been surprisingly happy to see Suki, giving her a wet kiss almost as soon as she walked out of the old hag house. Toph and I laughed at that...I mean, it's funny, right? Suki simply gave me a sly smile before putting me in a choke hold and hugging her cheek to my own...

Appa slobber and all.

Jerk.

Toph stopped laughing then, her face a bit red: expression unreadable...strange. The warriors that came out were similarly cold about our flirtatious display, which is completely unfair. I can't help if I'm irresistible.

Suki gave long hugs to her warrior sisters, her sling long since abandoned, and told them to be ready for pick up on our way back to the Eastern Air Temple...like I was _really_ going to stop for them.

Her warriors wave up at her even after we disappear into the black night.

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Thirty minutes into our journey and I hear Suki's stomach grumble.

Toph leans her head over sweetly, "Oh Suki, you have to try some of this stuff. It's _delicious_."

Uh oh...never trust Toph's '_sweet_' voice.

Toph passes her a familiar canteen: one of the ones Guru Patik packed for us. Suki accepts it with a smile and takes a small sip...

...and promptly spits it into the cool night air.

"_IIIICK!_ What the _hell_!?"

Toph grins.

"Initiation complete."

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A half hour later...

"And that's the tale of how I stuck _three _fishhooks in my thumb."

I gape in her direction, admiration clearly written on my face.

"I _knew_ we were meant to be Suki...I just **_knew_** it."

Toph sighs from where she lay, "For the love of all that's good and holy, _please_ don't have children."

High above us, the moon laughs.

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Another hour later...I've disengaged myself from conversation while I steer Appa, lost in my thoughts. Vaguely I hear whispers.

"Why does he look constipated?... It's not that juice, is it!?"

"No, no, no...he's just _formulating_."

"Formulating?"

"Yeah...Ya know the sprain in his brain that you pointed out?"

"Uh huh."

"He's been formulating a plan for the last two days. His poor pea-sized brain must be in **_agony_**."

A vein in my forehead pops.

"How tragic."

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Suki shifts uncomfortably for the fifth time in the span of a few minutes.

Toph sighs, "Could you just find a position and stick with it?"

Suki smiles apologetically, "I'm sorry...but we've been flying for a couple hours...and I need to...take care of some business."

I look up, raising an eyebrow. Suki blushes.

"Don't look at me like that...I mean, I know you said that you traveled fourteen hours straight yesterday, but don't you ever have to...yaknow?"

One of the many rules I've learned while hanging around Toph. Try to avoid the issues that embarrass you...or suffer.

"Number one or number two?"

Suki stares incredulously at my blind friend.

"_What?_"

Toph points toward a pot strapped to Appa's saddle, "Number _one_..."

She points toward a second pot, "...or number _two_."

She must be reveling in Suki's discomfort.

Suki turns green, "**_What?!?!_**"

Silence.

Toph and I burst out in laughter and I slowly steer Appa toward the ground. Suki breathes out a sigh of relief when she realizes Toph was just pulling her leg.

After I catch my breath, "Oooh...the look on your face."

Toph rubs a tear from her eye, "Yeah..._of course_ we make pit stops..."

"**Ha...ha**."

Toph scratches her chin, "Well there was that one time when we'd been chased for two days straight and Sokka couldn't hold it..."

Oh yeah...I'd forgotten about that.

Suki raises an eyebrow, "What'd you do?"

I recall the incident, "Well, I'd been holding it for at least an hour...and we _just so happened_ to fly over a fire nation camp..."

Suki's eyes widen, "You _didn't_."

I smile wickedly, "I don't think I've _ever_ felt so relieved...and on so many different levels."

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We land in a woodsy area just as light appears on the horizon. Suki immediately runs into the thick foliage. I study our map while Toph makes her traditional earth angel.

"We're close to Serpent's Pass...I'd say we only have another half hour."

Toph now lies still in the dirt, content.

"And your plan?"

"Errr...I'm getting there...just waiting for a bit of inspiration."

"Good."

"You're not mad?"

"Far from it...ya see, it's normally after you say things like that that we coincidentally run into said inspiration..."

Hmmm...never thought about it that way.

A rustle in the bushes. Suki breaks through, her face white and breath short, "You guys have _got _to see this."

"Case in point."

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"I spotted them while I was...er..._ya know_."

"Peeing?"

"Shhh...keep it down!"

The three of us squat in the shadows, peering through the bushes into the Earth Kingdom camp. Soldiers mill about, performing various chores. It appears they're getting ready to move out.

Looks pretty legit to me.

I raise my eyebrow and glance at the older girl, "And _what_ makes you think they're imposters again?"

"_Other_ than the fact that I saw one of them bend the fire out a minute ago?"

Sarcasm...gotta love that girl. I scrutinize the soldiers once again, looking for defects. It's hard to make out their physical features at this distance, but I'll hand it to Suki...something definitely doesn't feel _'right'_ about them.

Toph speaks up, "She's right. Those aren't earthbenders."

"How do you know?"

"The ones practicing their stances," She points to a few soldiers on the east side of camp, "Those stances are definitely not connected to my element."

Toph knows her stuff. They really _are_ imposters...seems like Azula's strategy to enter the formerly Impenetrable City has spread. She probably has hundreds of these troops heading for Ba Sing Se. This could be disastrous.

But it could also be fortuitous.

Toph was right...I've found my inspiration.

"I've got a plan."

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Light. He reflexively tries to bend an arm over his eyes from the fierce brightness, but finds he cannot. The joint in his elbow aches dully, and the muscles are weak. All of his muscles feel like mush in fact...and the pain in his bones is only increasing with every second.

And still the light tears into his skull. He turns his head away from the pain, into the shadows. He wishes to stay in his dreams, where he and his friends only know happiness, and never know war.

An accented voice. "You shouldn't shy away from the light, Aang...Your dreams are only illusions...sweet ones, but still deceiving. You must wake to reality. It can be harsh, but it can also be good."

An image of Katara -sweet, loving Katara- enters his mind.

"She is quite good, _yes?_...But only because you ran away so long ago did you ever meet her...likewise, only because you ran away did this war _begin_."

The boy's chest, already in pain, feels even more constricted. Tears fall from closed eyes.

"Now now...You must remember that everything happens for a _reason_...that all events are connected, both good and bad. Now turn your face back to the light, and relish in this insight."

Grey irises slowly appear behind thick lashes. The first thing they focus on is the face of a pretty water tribe girl. After that, the light doesn't bother Aang at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** A little bit of a shorter chapter than the previous 3. This one revolves around the three travelers as they're "taking action" (the title for this fic is quite lame btw... I just can't seem to come up with anything better). A lot of planning and setting up here...hope it doesn't bore ya'll to death '. More characters will take part in the next chapter.

If you're reading, I'd love to know what compells you to do so...good, bad, or otherwise.

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At the word, 'plan', I have my two companions' full attention.

"See the carriage with the metal bed?"

I point toward the prisoner hold the troops travel with. The completely enclosed metal box is hitched to two ostrich horses.

"We're going to travel into Ba Sing Se in that carriage."

Suki looks at me like I've lost my marbles, "Wait...are you suggesting we _let_ ourselves be taken captive?"

Toph looks equally reluctant, "I've gotta agree with Number One over there. Getting captured would look really bad for my rep."

I let out a dramatic sigh, "Look, I didn't ask for the title of 'Plan Guy', it was given to me against my will...so I'd _appreciate it _if my genius wasn't questioned."

Suki rolls her eyes, "Fine...say we didn't have a problem with your _'genius'_," she mocks, "Mind explaining how we escape once we're in the city?"

Oh yeah...The Kyoshi leader didn't know about Toph's new talent. No wonder she's got an issue.

The earthbender smiles, "Snoozles here isn't worried about escaping because he knows mankind can't build a cage that can hold me."

Suki looks between me and Toph, still uncertain.

Toph crosses her arms, "You don't _believe_ me?"

"The cage is made out of _metal_, Toph. I don't thi—"

Without asking my approval, the younger girl pick pockets my dagger from its sheath. She proceeds to flick it nonchalantly with her forefinger and thumb. Suki watches in wonder as the metal warbles back and forth like rubber. I stifle a yawn to show I'm not impressed with the antics.

"That's **amazing!**...But how?"

"Metal's just a refined form of stone and...well...I dunno...I guess I'm just that awesome," Toph buffs the dagger on her shirt before handing it back to me. I inspect the visibly warped surface.

"You know this is ruined, right?"

Toph whispers behind her hand to Suki, "I'm still learning."

"_Anyway_," I cut in, "There are several smaller prisons designated for petty criminals in the outer ring...that's where they'll be directed to take us. From there Toph can bend a tunnel into the underground caverns of Old Ba Sing Se...we already know they'll lead us to the palace."

I look toward Toph, "That is unless you think the Dai Li will be able to 'feel' you tunneling."

"You think any one of 'em is _half _the master I am?"

I smirk. Right...stupid question.

"Good. We should keep the element of surprise then. It'll take a bit of trial and error to find where Iroh's being kept in the palace. I assume he's in the dungeon, but there's no way to tell until we're directly beneath it and Toph can 'feel' for his form."

They're listening intently. Plan must be pretty good so far.

"Once Toph locates Iroh it'll be a piece of cake. We'll 'silence' the guards and bend the old geezer out, make our way back through Old Ba Sing Se, through our tunnel to the outer ring, and whistle for Appa to retrieve us...In and out, bing, bang, **boom**!"

Toph frowns, "But it could take awhile to get all the way back to the outer ring on foot...You know Iroh's absence won't be a secret for long. We'll be found out."

Unused to Toph's logical line of thinking, I raise an eyebrow.

"Don't act so surprised, Snoozles."

Suki interjects, "Why can't we call on Appa from the inner ring?"

I shake my head, "Too close to the lion's den...If Azula or any of her goons spot Appa, they'll try to engage us. The point of this mission **_isn't_** to pick a fight...ideally, we'll get in and out without being seen. It's like Guru Patik said, if _anything _happens that causes the mission to become too dangerous to complete, we'll have to turn back."

Both girls look equally unhappy about the last statement. I can understand why: going through all that work and then turning around for one mistake seems drastic, and normally I'd oppose it too...but this leading thing bears a lot of weight, and I just can't gamble with my friends' safety.

Toph finally nods her head at my words, "Okay...but _without_ being seen? I'm pretty sure being captured qualifies as 'being seen'...but what would _**I** _know?"

She gestures at her milky orbs. Suki giggles behind her hand.

I answer her, "Well _yeah_...but these are just a few Fire Nation lackeys. Without Aang or Appa, they won't recognize us. To them we're just a few wandering refugees. It's the Dai Li and Azula's thugs we can't dance around in front of."

Toph is quick to point out the other flaw, "Fine, fine...but getting to the outer ring after we have Iroh is _still _a problem. Let's face it...who knows how much time we'll have? Probably not enough to get _that _far."

I pout. She's right.

Suki gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Like I said before, we'll just whistle for Appa from the inner ring..."

I open my mouth to protest but the Kyoshi warrior doesn't give me the chance.

"We can _do it_ Sokka! After we find Iroh, we'll tunnel our way to a back alley outside the palace and whistle for Appa! No one's _expecting_ us...even if they spot him, it'll be too late. He can fly us out in no time."

I'm skeptical. I doubt insane firebenders need as much time to prepare as Suki's implying: site target and let flames loose. What's so hard about that?

Nothing...It was easy: _way_ too easy. Life was way too easy for firebenders to snuff out.

But Toph is nodding her head with enthusiasm, and I know I've been outvoted for the second time today.

"Sounds like we have a plan. Just one question," the small girl sports a mischievous smile, "What do ya'll wanna get arrested for?"

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We had to hurry after the plan was laid out. The Earth Kingdom imposters had been preparing to move out when we left to find Appa. Big and Furry was right where we left him, playfully sniffing a butterfly in and out of his nostrils.

Some changes had to be made. You become somewhat notorious when you've traveled with the Avatar, and while none of those soldiers would know our faces, our stories had undoubtedly spread.

Toph, for example. The exploits of the Avatar's earthbending sifu -'The Blind Bandit'- had spread far within the Earth Kingdom and across enemy lines by word of mouth. If a twelve year old blind girl went in there smashing heads, those soldiers would probably be able to put two and two together. I told Toph that this meant she couldn't be her normal badass self, which she took surprisingly well. I guess when you've spent most of your life acting like you have a debilitating handicap one more day of pretend doesn't make a difference.

As for me, I quickly set about changing into an outfit with less of a Water Tribe affiliation, taking off my shell necklace and replacing my shirt to one of an earthier, brownish hue. I even took my hair out of it's 'wolf's tail', earning a laugh or two from Suki before she composed herself.

Suki was just Suki. The Fire Nation wouldn't know anything about her...making her a natural wildcard.

We were a couple hours from Ba Sing Se by bison, so I estimated we'd find ourselves in the outer ring sometime after nightfall by foot and ferry. This meant we could plan Iroh's breakout to occur sometime in the early morning: while the city's invaders slept. It was at that time that Appa needed to be hovering over the inner circle, high above human sight, waiting for our call.

I relayed this information to Appa, ignoring the logical part of my mind that argued that animals can't understand human language. I just had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't a typical flying bison. As Aang's spirit guide, Appa is a sentient creature, able to comprehend many things.

If only the same could be said of that dumb lemur.

I directed the big and furry to rest in one of the nearby ravines during the day and to begin his flight to Ba Sing Se as the sun set, placing him over the inner ring with plenty of downtime before we needed him. He needed to fly as high as possible to avoid detection, and keep his hearing sharp.

Everything was in place. We looked like a group of young refugees. We had a free ride into Ba Sing Se. Appa would be ready for our cue.

All that was left was to piss off a few Fire Nation soldiers.

Something tells me we can handle that.

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An hour later and the three of us are cramped inside the small prison hold, rocking rhythmically as the ostrich-horses lead us down the rocky path. Another couple of carriages pull up the rear, one carrying the troops' tents and supplies –and _our _weapons-, and the second covered with a cloth canvas, effectively hiding its contents. About twenty troops march in front of and behind us.

As predicted, it hadn't been very difficult to tempt the imposters into arresting us: Fire Nation soldiers, disguised or not, have very short tempers...it was simply a matter of pushing their buttons. When my companions and I had first approached them, throwing insults, the men had been somewhat passive, choosing not to waste their time with what I'm sure they thought were simply misguided Earth Kingdom youths. An attempted theft, some thrown fruit, and a couple vandalized carriages later, and they had no choice _but _to cage us, or else never cover any ground.

I guess there was the possibility they could have _fought_ us, though I didn't get the feeling they would. Throwing fire at a few aggravating youths wasn't worth facing a merciless –_and deadly_- princess later on if their cover was blown, risking every other posing troop in route to the city.

I can barely make out Suki's expression in the darkness, "That was..._fun_."

She sounds like a child in wonder, and I don't find it all that surprising. Growing up a Kyoshi warrior probably wasn't a typical childhood. Her job has always been to uphold order, a duty magnified by her position as leader.

She's never known the joy of throwing fruit...how very sad.

Toph on the other hand...

"Yeeeah...it _really_ was, wasn't it?" the earthbender sighs in content despite her crouched position.

I turn my head to the smaller girl, "What'd you say about that guy's mother?"

"Nothing _your_ virgin ears can handle."

Where she comes up with these phrases is beyond me.

I blush, "A simple 'nothing' would've sufficed."

A minute later and my cheeks are still red. I shift uncomfortably in the mess of entwining limbs crammed inside our cage.

"Does it feel _warm _to anyone else?"

We continue to rock as we're led down the beaten path...the sun merrily beaming down on our metal prison.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:** Wow...I seriously can't thank ya'll enough for your positive words. Warm and fuzzies abound :D I tried to include a few more characters in this chapter and included a silly dream sequence that I thought about on a whim. I found it fun to write, if not a bit unnecessary to the story.

Next chapter: I dunno...?...I'm trying to get as much out this week that I can, since I have family coming in. And after that, it's home for the holidays...making writing over the next couple weeks quite difficult. So I reiterate..."I dunno".

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"They went back to Ba Sing Se."

Katara's voice is gentle when she tells Aang about his other friends' whereabouts, but that doesn't make the news any easier to hear.

"**_What!?_**" the young boy screeches. If he'd been healthier, his attachment to the elements would have sparked some sort of miniature typhoon, tidal wave, or earthquake. As it was, Katara could only measure her friend's fear by his huge, expressive eyes.

"Ssssh..._relax_, Aang!" She pushes him back onto his floor mat and pillows, "You're only going to hurt yourself."

"B-but..." he coughs as his lungs strain, "W-why?"

Good question. Katara still debated her brother's logic. He'd seemed so adamant, but they'd all been a bit emotional after...the accident.

"They went to free Iroh. They wanted to bring you your firebending sifu."

Aang finishes his coughing fit, and then frowns at her words, "It's not worth the risk. You shouldn't have let them go."

Katara turns away, ashamed. She knows she didn't _let_ Toph and her brother go, but this knowledge doesn't negate the feeling that she should've been able to change their minds...kept their family together.

Guru Pathik speaks up from across the room.

"Aang," his voice is firm, almost harsh, "It was not Katara's choice that they leave. Your blame is misplaced."

The young airbender notes his friend's sorrowful expression then. This was very difficult for her.

His mood becomes contrite, "You're right, Guru Pathik...this is my fault. They went back to help _me_. I'm sorry, Katara."

The guru shakes his head sadly and kneels next to his young pupil, "Again you misplace blame. This is neither you nor any of your friend's faults, young Avatar. You give yourself much credit to think you have control of Destiny."

Aang ponders the guru's words. He can swear he hear Monk Gyatso through them. They ring true...he suddenly feels the need to cleanse this feeling of guilt.

"Perhaps we can work to open my water chakra again?" he asks.

Katara looks up at the curious new word, her worries temporarily forgotten.

Guru Patik smiles at the two youngsters, "Very good. Why don't we _all_ meditate?"

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A metal box... the midday sun...eighty cubic feet...one small window...

Three miserable teenagers.

In hindsight, I really should have anticipated this. As it is, my friends and I have to make the most of the sweltering Earth Kingdom afternoon in our poorly ventilated enclosure.

The three of us sit in separate corners.

Suki waves her fan lazily in front of her face. She had been hesitant to use it as an actual cooling instrument at first. I guess it might have been considered disrespectful, being such a sacred weapon of the Kyoshi warriors. Twenty degrees later, she opts to utilize the minimal relief it provides.

Toph has her own tactic. She pokes hole after hole into the metal floor, as though it were just paper. She pokes one more, making the current hole-count fifty four, and then lays, stomach first, over the porous pattern, taking in the little bit of draft it provides.

I'm hot as hell...but that's not the only thing on my mind. Discarded tunics and leggings lay haphazardly around us: my companions and I wear only our underclothes.

Escaping the heat had taken priority over modesty a couple hours ago.

I'm just trying my damnedest to avert my eyes.

I shouldn't be embarrassed. There was an _understanding_ that we'd be mature about the whole situation...a 'silent pact', if you will...

...which means I could ogle Suki if I wanted, without fear of retribution. I could attribute it to the fact that there really is little else to look at...

There's a wall...there's another wall...the floor...a sock on the floor...Toph's dirty foot...another wall...Suki...the ceiling...tiny window...Suki...

...And yet, the gentlemanly side of my brain –_in a rare appearance_- tells me I shouldn't stare. I don't think I could muster the courage anyway. The thought alone sends a rush of blood to my brain...

You choose which brain I'm referring to...

Ugh...I'm sorry; that was inappropriate. There's just so much going on in my head right now.

Here I am, mostly naked. I can see enough of Suki to imagine her naked. We're about to enter what in all probability is a very dangerous mission. I'm hot and thirsty and despite suffering from a lack of sleep, I can't get a second of oblivion in the butt-numbing position I've been stuck in the last four hours.

So I just sit here, bare back leaning against the wall's surface, slick from sweat, trying in vain to clear my mind and rest.

An irritated sigh, "Yo Chicken Legs, are we _there_ yet?"

"Wha— ?"

It takes a second for her words to register. _Chicken legs_?

I look down at my bare limbs. Immediately, I scramble to cover myself, "Does a silent pact mean _nothing_ to you?!"

Suki's tired expression lights up...one airy giggle escapes her throat...and then another...

Both girls erupt in laughter. I stop scrambling and stare, confused.

People find their own ways to cope in trying times. Yeah, I'm the butt of the joke, but my friends' spirits are up. I let out a chuckle or two at my own expense. The laughter dies down after a few minutes.

Silence reigns again. I lean my head back and close my eyes, my shoulders temporarily lighter.

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This new feeling was hard to describe.

It tightened his chest and throat. It burned his eyes, refusing him the moisture that would alleviate the pain. It caused him to dream of days not so long past: of his Uncle's easy smiles...the ones that exuded nothing but joy over the new life they led together...

The joy was so pervasive that it had begun to rub off on the Fire Nation prince; he'd begun to experience some of these strange, simple pleasures. He could feel himself changing, and despite the horrors that had forged him, he'd believed he could complete the transformation.

Azula's abrupt reappearance had changed all that.

At the exact moment he saw her deceptively sweet face, heard her silky, manipulative voice, Zuko knew he wasn't meant to be happy like his dear Uncle.

The old man had been right in a way. Zuko _did_ have a role to play in everyone's destiny: in the fate of the world. Just not in the way he had thought.

Joining forces with the Avatar was beyond Zuko's ability. His Uncle had been foolish to think otherwise. The Avatar was just a boy, and a selfish one at that. His disappearance started the war, twisted his father into a war mongering, hateful being...all before Zuko was even born.

The Avatar had been the bane of Zuko's existence for far too long, the primary focus of his rage. For his Uncle to think he could just set history aside, act like nothing had happened, and actually work with him...

No...he worked alone from here on out. He was tired of outside forces determining his path.

He would play into his sister's act: earn back her trust. And a couple months from now, regardless of whether the Avatar survives his own battle –_and frankly he didn't care either way_-, Zuko would be in a position to change the course of this war.

He wasn't concerned about honor anymore.

His only regret was Uncle.

Technically, he hadn't betrayed him. Zuko had insisted on his safety, arguing that the Fire Lord reserved judgment for traitors. Azula had grudgingly complied, and his Uncle had spent the last week imprisoned instead. It was harsh, but temporary. Azula would wish to return to Ozai in the coming months, to protect him during the so-called 'Darkest Day' that the Earth King had so conveniently informed her of.

The prince would go with her. Azula would demand that Uncle come also, to face his long awaited judgment. It would be easier for Uncle to escape in the transition; Zuko would make sure of that.

But still, the indescribable feeling intensified whenever he neared the palace prisons...

So Zuko determined to avoid them altogether.

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_I'm lying on a beach. The sun beats down on my skin, causing me to sweat. It's so _warm_. I look to my left. Suki lies beside me, clad only in her underclothes. I look to my right. Ty Lee holds herself in a perfect back handstand. _

_I smile, content._

_I prop myself on my elbows, taking in the scenery. A body of water, bluer than any I can ever remember, breaks upon the shore. In the distance, I see giant dorsal fins speeding over the water's surface. Aang's back is to me from where he rides the elephant koi; he bears no scar. Katara and Toph swim not too far away._

_Vaguely I wonder when Toph learned to swim._

_I'm so hot. Suki's suddenly cooling me with her fan. Ty Lee has one as well. They whisper sweetly in my ears and smile. I close my eyes. Am I in heaven?_

_I open my eyes. I cling to the fin of an elephant koi, my inexperienced hands struggling to keep their grip. Aang's ride pulls up beside my own. He grins innocently at my predicament. _

"_You don't know what you're doing."_

_His words strike a nerve. I open my mouth to argue but my lips can't move._

_Katara's hair flaps wetly from where she rides beside him. _

"_I told him not to try."_

_The koi makes a sharp turn and I'm sent flying. I anticipate the cool release of the crystal blue liquid. It never comes._

_I land in a heap in the sand. The water's gone, replaced with desert. Elephant koi jump in and out of the grains, their fins cutting through the dunes as though they were waves. My friends are gone. I'm all alone._

_A shadow flies over, blocking the sun. At first I see Appa..._

_And then it's not Appa. It's dark and feathery...and ominous. It shrilly screeches as it spirals down...closer and closer and...I duck to avoid being hit by the horrific serpent-like form of Wan Shi Tong. _

_The monstrous owl terrifies me. Its beady black eyes stare at my form in accusation. The spirit speaks through its deadly beak._

"_What knowledge can you offer?"_

_I can't answer him. My mouth refuses to budge._

"_Impertinent fool! Have you nothing to offer?"_

_He looks beyond my shoulder. I slowly turn to follow his gaze._

_Azula stands, hand extended, fingers pointed. The air around me crackles and snaps. My eyes widen. My breathing stops..._

_Aang falls._

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I wake with a gasp. It takes a few seconds to recall where I am.

Across from me, Suki pulls her green tunic over her head. The light that makes its way through our small window paints a reddish hue over her face. The sun must be setting.

Did I sleep all the way to Ba Sing Se?

Suki must notice my confusion, "We passed the outer wall an hour ago. You looked so comfortable that I didn't want to wake you."

I pop a few kinks in my back, "C-comfortable...right."

She smiles good-naturedly, "Well, ya know."

Toph, also dressed, sits cross legged, chin in her hands, "Note. _She_ didn't want to wake you. _I_, on the other hand, was bored out of my mind."

"Well, thanks for the restraint."

"How much longer do you think we have?" Suki asks.

Toph pokes one more of her indiscrete holes in the front wall, giving me a clear view of what lay ahead. Squinting an eye, I peer through. In the distance, beyond the ostrich horses that pull us, I see a familiar wall.

"Not long at all..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's notes:** Sorry for the delay and shortness of this chapter. I'm enjoying the holiday season with the fam and it's hard to get ahold of a computer for any extended length of time around here. Thanks again to all those leaving me such wonderful comments...I feel like doing a jig every time I spot a new review :D Must be all that coffee I drink. Anyhoo...till the next update!

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The sun had already set by the time our plan was put in to action.

The Fire Nation soldiers, posed in their Earth Kingdom attire, had easily entered the city. I'll admit I was a little surprised, even with the knowledge that Long Feng practically owned Ba Sing Se, as well as its protectors' wills. His orders were followed without question, and his new allegiance to the Fire Nation assured that Azula's orders were treated the same, even if they were masked as the Earth King's like I suspect.

Were these people so numb to reality that they couldn't recognize Fire Nation when they saw them? I suppose not.

They've never known a time without a wall between them and the outside world. Soldiers sat high and pretty, protecting their city without ever having to engage another fighter. They were safe in their towers, both from harm and the truth: the truth that many miles away from them, innocent people were persecuted and killed, for no good reason at all.

I hate Long Feng. The more I think about it, the more I do. I know there's no way to prove it, but I'm positive the tide of this war could have turned long ago with the aid of Ba Sing Se's forces. Instead people like Long Feng have blinded the city's citizens for one hundred years, holing up in this safe haven while the rest of us suffered.

It's appropriate that he aligns himself with Azula now. As far as I'm concerned, they're both cut from the same scummy cloth.

After we passed the wall, it was simply a matter of time before our carriage was forced to stop at a crossroads for other travelers. Toph pulled apart a hole in the floor then, sealing it after we all jumped through.

I'd love to see the look on these posers' faces when they open their prison hold to find no one in it. Hopefully, they'll think we were ghosts: it'd be awesome to haunt someone else's dreams for once.

It was a busy intersection with little room for the many pedestrians milling about to walk around the bulky metal cage. We slipped into the crowd undetected easily.

Our weapons would be a little bit trickier to recover. The outer ring is a sketchy district and the Fire Nation soldiers are watching their carriages intently to ward off thieves. We need a distraction…

…which comes in the form of an old, decaying building. I note the soldiers' gazes gravitating to it as one. I don't waste the opportunity. A split second later I'm lifting the canvas and stealthily reclaiming our belongings. I don't waste time to really inspect our capturers' cargo, but my nose catches the familiar smell of blasting jelly. They're transporting explosives. I don't know why, but I can't really afford to ask either.

As our trio walks away, I hear a cat call. Turning my head to the source, I discover several scantily clad women hanging out of the windows of the building the soldiers had passed…or should I say brothel?

No wonder those jerks were so interested.

I blow them a kiss for their assistance…and then trip as Suki's foot unexpectedly catches my own.

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It didn't take Toph long to tunnel us down to the underground city from a deserted alley.

I estimate that we began walking through the caverns about an hour ago…surely the palace is close.

I feel like we're growing more and more nervous the further we walk, though I'm too macho, and Toph's too tough, and Suki's too professional, to admit as much. But it's there, in my twitching left eye, and Toph's fidgeting fingers, and Suki's occasional shiver. This task is huge. It would mean a lot to bring Aang a firebending sifu.

I clasp Suki's hand.

"Don't be scared."

She smiles at the gesture, and I can tell she's pretending not to notice the way my left eye twitches or the slight tremble in my fingers.

How kind of her to preserve my ego.

Gently, she squeezes my hand in return…I must be going soft, but I can't deny how wonderful her fingers feel in mine.

This wonderful feeling suddenly ceases when my free hand is suddenly occupied.

"_Hellooo_...you're leavin' a girl hangin' here."

I really wish I could slap my forehead. Toph only grins.

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"Stop," Toph's whisper breaks the silence, "It's right above us."

The trio packs in close as Toph slowly bends us upwards on a small plateau of earth. Upon reaching the ceiling of the green-lit cavern, she presses her palm to its surface, while Suki and I watch in silence, allowing our friend to concentrate.

A few minutes later, "There are a couple dungeon floors...all metal. We're directly beneath one of the hallways."

"Do you see Iroh?"

Toph screws her brows together, "It's so fuzzy...I don't think so."

"Don't think?"

"Well, let's put it this way...none of the prisoners on the bottom floor have Iroh's...larger than life presence."

"They're all skinny," I clarify.

"Yep."

"He must be on the second floor then."

I curse. It would have been easier if Iroh was right above us.

"No worries, Snoozles. There's only one guard on this floor and he's walking this way now."

Before I can question her meaning, Toph punches through the rock to the metal foundation. Suki covers her ears in surprise.

"Toph!"

My eyes are surely bulging. What in the world is she doing?

She ignores my exclamation, and places her hands upon the metal. I realize too late that she's waiting for the guard to walk right above us, and my reaction is too slow…

"Don't-!"

Her tiny hands tear a hole in an amazing display, right underneath the guard's feet.

Even more amazing...and quite terrifying...is the fact that the person Toph had fuzzily seen through the metal is not a guard.

Instead of falling into a vulnerable heap like Toph had surely anticipated, the figure expertly lands in a crouch in the middle of our group. Her bewildered gaze darts between us for a split second before a deadly smirk stretches across her features.

"Just when things were getting boring again."

And Mai sends her concealed daggers flying.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: **ARG! I'm having a hard time updating at home. There're so many people, and so few computers. I've been chuggin' along though, and finally I'm squeezing out Chapter 7 (note: I can already forsee a need to edit this...but am too anxious to worry about typos so late tonight). What can I say? I feel the new season looming around the corner, and fear that I'll still be writing this story after it debuts.

I know it's not a sin (writing something out of canon), but watching my story slowly stray from the Avatar universe will probably sadden me to no end. And what's one to do in such a situation?

Drink heavily and blow up their computers, that's what. :D

Hopefully, I'll learn to type more quickly, to avoid such drastic measures.

Anyhoo, thank ya'll again for your awesome reviews. I'm actually finding the ones that point out some of the many plot holes in _Taking Action_ the most amusing (quite literally in the case of Self Possessed :D)...which reminds me...I need to start replying to reviews. I'm horrible at that.

Can someone smell a New Year's resolution?

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I hit the deck the moment I saw that familiar, dangerous glint in Mai's eyes. Inches above my wolf's tail, three sharp blades slice through the air.

"Ooof!"

All air escapes my lungs when I land.

I look up, breathless, to find Suki drawing Mai's attention away with a series of quick jabs. Evading a swift kick to her face, Mai jumps off our little plateau, Suki automatically pursuing.

Toph grabs the back of my shirt, pulling me to my knees.

"Uh..._my bad_?" She looks chagrined about the whole ordeal.

I would have liked to make a smartass reply, but I can only offer a wheeze and glare. I scramble to my feet to aid the Kyoshi warrior, Toph close behind.

We leap the ten feet down to the fight and are immediately invited to participate by way of some throwing stars. A wave of Toph's hand and a slab of rock shields our exposed bodies.

Okay, so I'm not quite as mad at her anymore.

I run around the slab and toward the circling warrior and assassin. Suki's face is unreadable: undoubtedly, she's thinking back to her previous encounter with the Fire Nation girl...to the friend that was left for dead.

I don't want her fighting alone. It's not that I don't trust her abilities…it's just that I'm getting a violent gut reaction from this particular duel.

I now stand opposite Suki, Mai between us.

She's the meat in the middle of a wicked dance sandwich. Twirling two long daggers expertly, she deflects Suki's fan and my club. Toph isn't trained in any hand-to-hand techniques, being better suited to bending from a distance. Every few seconds Mai's eyes avert to the earthbender, who stands just beyond my shoulder, waiting to assist.

Mai _must_ know she has the lower hand. Sure, she could beat me to a pulp, and her group has already taken Suki down, but even _she_ has to admit that Toph's skills will eventually incapacitate her.

The look in her eyes doesn't convey this worry though. On the contrary, they seem to dance, as if the whole situation amuses her. She knows we won't kill her, having actual respect for human life and all.

But she has no vice with killing. Nor does she have any qualms with cheating.

In one swift motion, her boot kicks sand into Suki's face, and when the Kyoshi warrior's hand inevitably reaches up to clear her vision, the same boot completes its path to her soft stomach.

Suki flies backward with a grunt.

With a gleaming dagger lifted high, Mai moves to eliminate her fallen opponent and even the playing field. A surge of adrenaline courses through my veins at the sight, and with it comes a sudden feeling of bravery.

The dagger arcs down…

My club blocks the deadly motion. This one act expends all the adrenaline-enduced energy my lanky, teenage body has produced.

I back away quickly after...almost cowardly.

Well, not cowardly, per se. Just _rationally_.

I don't possess Mai's speed. I don't pretend to have her experience in battle. I haven't been trained to demonic perfection in cold, merciless killing.

I would prefer not to engage her one-on-one.

She notes my hesitation immediately and runs forward, slicing left and right. It's all I can do to control my erratic breathing while dodging the deadly swings.

I'm fucking terrified.

The swings appear random and reckless at first glance, but I know Mai better. Everything about her is calculated. Her eyes dart about, taking in her surroundings: the possible threats to her being, and any miniscule opportunity I might allow her to lash out.

She makes the multitasking look easy. I, on the other hand, can only concentrate on keeping my head. Thinking of anything else will most likely lead to losing it.

She won't disengage me, knowing that doing so would leave her open to Toph. As it is, Toph has only been able to throw rocks at Mai whenever the assassin slowed herself enough to be hit. Which unfortunately, isn't often enough. We're in such uncomfortable, close proximity to each other, and Mai is shifting around so quickly, that Toph hasn't risked any other type of attack. I suspect because she's afraid I'll be caught in its affects and left open to one of Mai's wild swings.

What a horrible time for Toph to become conservative.

Nevertheless, the earthbender continues to throw stones at the assassin during lulls in attack, offering me short respites...and yet the pace picks up. Something about the way Mai twists and turns gives me the impression that she's leading me. My terror increases with this revelation. Nothing about Mai conspiring can be good.

Has she found some sort of pattern to this dangerous dance?

Not a bad hypothesis. She's clever and fast enough for such a complicated tactic, and try as I might I can't put up enough of an offensive to break whatever pattern she's discovered.

Suddenly her barrage slows and I note her left guard go down slightly. If I hadn't been so anxious to land a strike, I might have stopped to think about how deliberate the move had looked and backed away, but instead I move forward, my club swinging toward her unguarded midsection.

Mai smiles and sidesteps, and that's when I realize that she'd left her back exposed to Toph for just a second too long.

I don't see the rock that crunches into my temple, but from the way my neck snaps back, I'm pretty confident that it's at least the size of a grapefruit.

I guess it could be smaller, depending on its velocity.

Ha.

Funny...I can't feel my legs anymore.

And what's with the purple haze? I'll admit it's kind of relaxing, this haze...but how totally random these dark wisps are, that caress my aching, tired eyes.

I faintly hear girlish giggles, and the sound of waves crashing on a distant shore. Lovely, underwear-clad Suki…

"Whoops."

Toph?...Where?

I don't see her.

The wisps massage my skull, like slender feminine fingers…like Yue's fingers…and they're traveling…down.

My shoulder…my chest…my stomach…

I smile.

How'd I meet such good fortune again?

I hadn't...this _can't_ be right.

This is me blacking out. In the middle of a fight…

…with Mai.

Bad…

**_BAD!_**

I fight the tug of blissful unconsciousness –_of beautiful Yue_-, and when I reopen my eyes a few seconds later, I see Mai standing above me. Actually, I see two Mai's, and two wicked smiles, and four long, biting daggers.

I'd be lying if I told you I'm not peeing just a little at the sight.

But I can't do much more than hold my head from where I lay, dazed. My other hand gropes blindly for the weapon that's escaped my grasp.

Two daggers lift. They, as well as the two Mai's, merge into one before my eyes.

Oh shit. _Ohshitohshitohshit_…

The now single dagger falls to my chest…

Its progression is halted for the second time tonight: this time by a fan.

Mai sighs irritably.

"Will someone just _bleed_ already?"

Suki only grunts in response, her face contorted in pain. Her right arm shakes from where it holds Mai's dagger at bay. She's using her weak arm…the one sprained in her previous encounter with the Fire Nation…the one she'd insisted wasn't hurt seriously enough to justify her being left behind. It betrays her now as it inches closer to her own chest.

Stupid…_stupid_ girl.

Her chest is so much prettier than my own!!

I slowly move to my knees, trying to shake the throb that disorients my mind.

Mai's gaze narrows...

It's only a subtle movement that warns me, but I'm reminded of the other dagger in Mai's possession. My hand moves of its own accord then, pulling my boomerang out of its sheath. In less than a second I'm hugging Suki's legs from behind, barely blocking the sharp weapon meant to puncture her abdomen.

The contours of all people and objects involved are still fuzzy, but I'm lucid enough to understand the desperateness of the situation. The three of us are locked in a deadly embrace: an embrace Mai is close to breaking…

I hug Suki tighter from where I kneel, sweating. The she-warrior shakes, the dagger she holds back with her fan about to slip.

But the embrace forces Mai to stand stock-still, and plant her light feet solidly to the hard earth...

...and Toph's finally able to assist.

Without warning, Mai is being lifted. So engrossed in the possibility of actually inflicting pain, she has neglected to check on Toph, who sends her flying on a slab of rock toward the ceiling of the cavern...the _sharp, **crystal-infested**_ ceiling of the cavern.

Didn't I just mention a minute ago how my friends and I had too much respect for human life to _take_ it?

I'll just assume Toph had anticipated Mai's ability to escape the perilous situation.

For a moment, the assassin's forever-stoic expression shows the slightest trace of surprise, and then she's jumping…and not a second too soon. The slab crashes into the deadly wall of rock, and I'm letting my boomerang fly. It connects with the assassin's left fist mid-leap, forcing one dagger to escape her grasp. Blood immediately flows from the afflicted knuckle.

I snatch the boomerang upon its return.

Toph and I approach Mai where she's landed, somewhat roughly for someone with such cold grace. She clutches her hot red hand.

"Ow..." Voicing her discomfort, irritation is evident in her eyes.

Suki, still rubbing the burning sand from her vision, joins the group.

And because Mai only fights in battles that amuse her –_and I get the impression that her _own_ pain doesn't amuse her in the least_- she lifts her hands in surrender.

"I don't feel like playing anymore."

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The way she leans into the throne disgusts him.

The leg she lazily dangles over the armrest, for example: just a subtle demonstration of her lack of respect for the Kingdom and people she'd stolen.

And the way she inspects her talon-like nails?: a display of vanity and self interest.

And how her other hand waves dismissively to the music of a Fire Nation march (she'd told the Earth King's Royal Band they had half an hour to perfect it, if they wanted to keep their lives): it was all just a game to her.

Life and death has always been a game to her.

Zuko sits on the steps just below the throne while making these observations, one hand supporting his chin. His whole pose reflects some sort of unknown weight.

Ty Lee marches, bounces, and leaps acrobatically to the music echoing off the walls...her movements as light as a feather, unlike the prince's leaden demeanor.

Mai had dismissed herself earlier in the evening, preferring solitude in the after hours. With a spark of fear in her eyes, Ty Lee had informed the royal siblings that their dark friend performed bloody sacrifices and magic rituals in the dungeon.

Zuko knew that this was what Mai wanted the pink aura'd girl to think. How else was she to be left alone for ten minutes? She required a secluded, quiet place to meditate, and as the prince knew from his childhood, write her poetry…

…the dark kind of poetry.

The cut-your-arms, sweet-kiss-of-death, and unrequited-love, kind of poetry...the cliche kind.

He secretly suspected he was in at least a few of them. Perhaps when he was younger he would have found this flattering…knowing how twisted Mai has become since?

It would give him some interesting nightmares, to be sure.

Zuko frowns. It's not like he doesn't have enough of those already.

Might as well not delay sleep any longer. He'd made a sufficient enough 'appearance' today: gained a few more inches toward gaining his sister's full trust. Making a display of yawning, he hopes it will earn him leave, as it had Mai.

As he'd intended, the yawn catches his sister's attention from the throne.

"Dear brother, does Ty Lee's circus antics not amuse you?"

The sweetness in her voice is poison. He must remember that.

Looking up at her, with a convincingly tired expression, he answers, "No sister. I think I just need some rest. It's been a long week."

It _had_ been a long week. As much as Azula disgusted him, he had to admit her efficiency as a conqueror: a conqueror his father could be proud of.

Zuko shakes the thought a second after it enters his mind. Conquering a kingdom is easy when you have a huge army at your fingertips, and even more importantly, a devoid, empty space where a conscience should be. Azula fits the bill. He does not.

He doesn't have an army, and he's pretty sure he still has a conscience.

Yes…even after the betrayal.

It was bent, and it was warped, but it was there. Despite betraying his Uncle…despite making a deal with evil incarnate…his ends would justify his means.

He would end this war…and probably still go to Hell.

But it would be worth it.

Yes, Azula had the makings of an awesome, terrible conqueror: one that would surely earn her an epithet when written into history…perhaps Azula the Merciless…

In the span of a week, she'd smuggled in a couple thousand Fire Nation troops under the guise of Earth Kingdom soldiers. As was typical of her, she'd scoffed at how easy such an act was to accomplish.

Long Feng had been an idiot to keep the war a secret from the people of Ba Sing Se. Maybe if they'd known, the citizens would have been more suspicious when golden-eyed, black-haired soldiers in green uniforms started appearing out of nowhere in the thousands.

Zuko admitted that Earth Kingdom men could have similar features, but eyes of gold were very unique in this region, not nearly as prominent as in the Fire Nation. So many fiery sets blinking within the walls of Ba Sing Se at one time surely wasn't a coincidence…

…but Azula knew of Long Feng's exploits...knew people were terrified of what happened to those who even _thought_ negatively of Ba Sing Se's rule, let alone question it. They wouldn't dare raise a brow at the multitude of returning soldiers, whom they were told had been deployed for humanitarian causes several years prior, despite the fact that no one could remember any mass deployment ever having taken place, or the fact that no one claimed any familial connection to any of the new troops.

Azula hadn't found the resistance that the Fire Nation had found in Omashu…and she wouldn't allow it to arise anytime soon.

Because Long Feng was the voice of the Earth King anyway, no one would notice the royal's absence before it was too late: and with the Dai Li protecting her palace, and her ever growing army containing the people, Ba Sing Se would be under her complete control in a couple weeks...at most.

She was shooting for a week and a half, really.

A stray note. A C instead of a B flat.

Azula's eyes snap open. Ty Lee stops bouncing mid-handstand. The music abruptly screeches to a stop, one woodwind musician in the corner near panic.

"You!" Azula spots the weakness immediately -_she has an unnatural ability to spot them_- "How dare you desecrate the superior nation's song of triumph! And after I give you the **_honor_** of playing it?!"

The man, who looks to be in his fifties, faces her beseechingly, "I'm so very sorry! I-I have been playing for four hours straight...my fingers...they ache!"

"And not even the _decency_ to call me by my title..."

His eyes widen, "Your majes-!"

Zuko jumps when the lightening bolt sears across the room. The rest of the musicians cry out in terror from around their companion.

"**_Azula!_**" His angry growl draws her attention.

She clicks disapprovingly, "Oh don't tell me you actually _care_ about some old man."

At these words, Zuko tries to regain a face of impassiveness, though he is sure his wild eyes will betray him. This is simply another test.

If it isn't a game to his sister, then it's surely a test.

_Things like this will happen_, he reminds himself silently. If he wants to fulfill his destiny: if he wants to ensure he will be in the position to change the world for the better, he needs to find an ally with evil.

"No...I just hate for our time honored marching song to come to an end. It was only one note..."

Azula appears to consider his words, "Perhaps you're right _Zuzu_. I'm such a stickler for perfection, aren't I?"

She addresses the horrified musicians, "I suppose the rest of you may take leave. And would one of you mind getting _him_?" she points to the wide-eyed corpse.

That done, she turns back to her brother, "_Better?_"

A sigh, "Yes sister...I think I'll also retire."

"_Awwwww..._" Ty Lee whimpers before doing a flip, "You're no fun! I could go for hours still!"

The scarred young man regards the acrobat for a moment, wondering when death had become such a thing of normalcy for the happy-go-lucky girl. It's just another reminder, one of many witnessed by the prince, of how his sister tainted everything she touched.

"My apologies. Good night."

The princess strides to him then, eveloping him in a quick hug, claws slinking across his back.

_She taints everything she touches._

He feels her strangely cool breath mere centimeters from his ear.

"Good night, dear brother. Sweet dreams."

It's all he can do not to shiver.

The coldness clings to him long after, while walking down a corridor half way to his bedroom, and then his legs take a detour toward the kitchens...in a section of the palace not so far from the dungeon.

And although some indescribable feeling has caused him to avoid drawing anywhere close to his Uncle this past week, his heavy heart suddenly beckons for a cup of warm jasmine tea.

He won't refuse the urge any longer.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There's a consensual anxiousness in the group as we continue our mission…and in my case there's also a mind splitting headache, as well as a lovely violet color to go with the goose-egg slowly swelling on the right side of my forehead.

When the complaints inevitably flow from my mouth –_most of them directed at the root of the cause of my suffering, **Toph**_- the young earthbender simply compliments how the particular shade of purple goes so well with my eyes.

I'm somewhat placated…until I realize that Toph can't see...for the hundredth time in our friendship.

Then I just pout.

I've been skeptical about going on after the incident with Mai, and not because of my own personal affliction.

Yes...even after Suki had knocked Mai out, and Toph had imprisoned her in a box of rock (the little Katara voice in my brain had forced me to remind Toph about air holes, to which she'd grudgingly complied).

Ever since I thought up this plot, I've known that the safety of myself and my companions relied on my being able to abort the plan should anything go awry.

It's safe to assume that almost being skewered by Azula's right hand qualifies.

I use my shirt to wipe the tiny trickle of blood squeezing out of the swelling bump on my temple. My mind races with paranoia.

I'm positively baffled that anyone of actual importance, like Mai, had been in the dungeon at all. Everyone _knows_ that dungeons only hold criminals and dimwitted guards... Who else could we encounter? Are we prepared to take on something more that what I'd originally anticipated?

Was I wrong…was freeing Iroh worth seeing Suki's face in pain?

Toph and Suki look to me determinately. From their expressions, I know my face must be painted in doubt.

Vaguely, I hear Toph apologizing for acting rashly: she promises to practice patience and follow orders from this point on.

Knowing Toph, she'll try, but I can't hold her to such an unreasonable promise. Practicing patience and obedience doesn't suit her. I raise a brow in her direction, clearly replying, '_Yeah right_'.

Suki touches my shoulder. I try not to make eye contact, but I'm not able to shake the hand that turns my cheek. Her puffy, sand-stung eyes are pleading.

"Please tell me we didn't go through all that for nothing."

It's embarrassing how soft I am.

I nod.

The group presses on.


End file.
